A to Z of Must-Do Travel Experiences – T for ‘Truffle Hunting’
{ Tags: Alba, Black Truffles, Perigord, Piedmont, Truffle Hunting, White Truffles \ Jun28 }
Truffles are a type of fungus, and the edible varieties are highly regarded in French, Spanish, Italian, as well as international cuisine. Truffles are so prized that they can command prices of up to 10,200 Euros per kilogram. They have even been referred to as “the diamond of the kitchen”.
Well there are several varieties of truffles, two of the most common include the white truffle, which hails from the Piedmont region in Italy, and black truffles, which are typically found in the Périgord region in France. They are typically found near trees, buried a few inches into the ground.
The season for white truffles is around October and November, while that for black truffles is in January, when their perfume is at its strongest. Truffle hunting is conducted with a specially trained pig or dog in tow, to help sniff out these prized delicacies. The main differences between the two animals are that pigs have an innate ability to sniff out truffles, but have a tendency to want to eat it. Dogs are easier to control, but require more training in terms of truffle sniffing. In recent years however, dogs have become the choice of truffle hunters.